


Apply Yourself

by IvaliceForever



Series: VLD: The School Files [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drabble, Gen, One Shot, modern high school au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 12:44:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15707490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvaliceForever/pseuds/IvaliceForever
Summary: Lance thinks he is gonna be murdered over his C- and that his biology teacher is out to get him. Pidge convinces him to go try to get a redo on the homework assignment , saying the 'hatred' is all in his head. Mr. Rainer just wants Lance Arnaz to APPLY HIMSELF.





	Apply Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> 1.) This is my first foray into Voltron Legendary Defender. I write AU for it because it is easier.
> 
> 2.) Lance's last name is taken from Desi Arnaz, a famous Cuban-born actor who I loved in 'I Love Lucy'.
> 
> 3.) If you have a problem with Lance's name choice fight me. McClain is NOT VLD canon so do not flood my comment box demanding I change it. I will be heavily monitoring the comments section of this one. I have seen how rowdy the VLD fandom can get but I LOVE the series so brave it I will.

Disclaimer: Voltron Legendary Defender belongs to Dreamworks. I am just playing around with the characters in a real-world setting.

* * *

 

 

Lance Arnaz was sure of two things as looked down at his graded homework assignment for biology. The first was that his mother would destroy him for the grade being south of a C, even if just by a little. To be fair Mr. Rainer was a hard-ass who has had it out for Lance since the beginning of the semester and this wasn’t exactly his best class (but hey he kept a solid B+ up to his assignment). The second thing he was absolutely sure about: there was no way in the galaxy that the biology professor would let him redo the assignment even if he asked.

 

“Lance, you don’t know that for sure. Mr. Rainer might let you redo it if you, y’know **_actually_** ask him.” Pidge (Katie) Holt said as they settled down for lunch. Pidge has been one of the few smart kids Lance knows that hangs out with the ‘morons’ as she once referred to himself and Hunk. It was cool because she was the only one permitted to do so or she went sort of rabid.

 

“Piiiiidge, you **_know_** he hates me!”

 

“Just because he doesn’t like you Lance, doesn’t mean he is a negligent teacher. If you actually ask him to let you redo it now that you know where you went wrong and he doesn’t let you then I’ll side with you.” Pidge snapped, refusing to let Lance wallow on his imminent demise by sandal.

 

Lance huffed but finally relented. Pidge had a **_HUGE_** point after all. Lance had never really tried to fix the supposed grudge between himself and the biology teacher. Mr. Rainer was just…well he wasn’t as easy to understand as some of the other teachers. 

 

Free Period saw Lance standing nervously outside the biology classroom with his hall pass. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the mahogany door and waited for himself to be let into the classroom. It didn’t take long before Mr. Rainer opened the door, green eyes full of surprise.

 

“Mr. Arnaz, to what do I owe this sudden visit to my classroom in your free time?”

 

Lance felt relief as the man let him into the room and sat down on a stool so he didn’t tower over him. Mr. Rainer looked much younger when he wasn’t scowling (Lance blamed his bushman beard). Swallowing again, Lance took out his homework assignment.

 

“Mr. Rainer…is there anything I can do to fix this assignment? I found out where I went wrong and I understand the text better now. I just…really don’t want to take a C- home.”

Mr. Rainer truly did feel for the boy, but it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of his students if he let Lance redo the assignment. Lance had applied himself as much as he hated to admit it. It wasn’t that he hated Lance by any means; the boy just…didn’t always apply 100% to his class. Rainer knew that Lance was more than capable of doing so. There was actually something he could let Lance do. 

 

“The only thing I can do for you Lance, is let you demonstrate for me that you can in fact solve the problem correctly. On the board, write for me how heredity works without consulting your textbook. If you understand what the homework was about and why you were wrong I’ll bump the ‘minus’ off and write a note for you explaining to your family why I graded it the way I did and that you’ve already fixed it.”

 

Lance felt his spirits rise after the tense silence. Beaming, he set to work writing out his understanding of how hereditary traits worked. Nervously, he waited for Mr. Rainer’s reaction.

 

“Is this right sir?”

 

“Congratulations Mr. Arnaz; you fully understand the chapter material. Let me see your paper and I’ll add the revised grade and explanation underneath.” Mr. Rainer wrote down a B- under the C-, confusing Lance.

 

“I thought you were only gonna take the ‘minus’ off it.”

 

“Truth is Lance, that what you just wrote on that board answered three of your incorrect answers. That shows that you took the time to re-read the entire chapter and apply yourself. You made the effort to better your grade. You earned the change in full. I’ve stapled a photo of what you wrote on the board to the paper so your family knows what you did. Now, I just want one thing of you.” Rainer said, smiling to noticeably Lance swore his eyes were shining brighter shades of green.

 

“Y-yeah sir?”

 

“From now on, I want you to apply yourself when you do homework. You are a talented student when you set your mind to things and I do want you to succeed. If you at least try to do your best and ask when you don't understand something, I'll do my best not to make you convinced I actually hate you. I just get frustrated seeing bright students not try as hard as they could.” Mr. Rainer explained. It made him proud to see Lance really did know how to apply himself when faced with a mistake he had made.

 

“You have a deal! I'll make sure I start actively asking when I don't get something.”


End file.
